Sean Merwin

But then it's like, well, what about this? OK, and then, oh, a new book comes out. Now we have to sit down and have another three hour conversation about what we can and can't have. And I think that that. That communication is important in any game for any reason. I totally agree with that.

I think there comes a point where the payment that you have to make to get that conversation is not worth paying for what people want out of the game, if that makes sense.

I think there comes a point where the payment that you have to make to get that conversation is not worth paying for what people want out of the game, if that makes sense.

Yeah, I mean, I guess so, like, you know, my group knows me fairly well. Yeah. And when we ran, for example, Tomb of Annihilation, something that comes up often is if you have a ranger who has this as their favorite terrain, they can't get lost. Right. And early on, I'd taken a poll. Before I started the campaign, do you want to like really do survival type stuff? And they were like, no, really.

Yeah, I mean, I guess so, like, you know, my group knows me fairly well. Yeah. And when we ran, for example, Tomb of Annihilation, something that comes up often is if you have a ranger who has this as their favorite terrain, they can't get lost. Right. And early on, I'd taken a poll. Before I started the campaign, do you want to like really do survival type stuff? And they were like, no, really.

It was like almost unanimous. Like, yeah, I don't want to track rations and worry about getting hungry. I don't want throat leeches. I don't want that kind of stuff. It's like, OK. So but the player still came to me and said, hey, I'm thinking of making a ranger with this favorite terrain, you know, jungle or whatever it is. Is that going to be a problem?

It was like almost unanimous. Like, yeah, I don't want to track rations and worry about getting hungry. I don't want throat leeches. I don't want that kind of stuff. It's like, OK. So but the player still came to me and said, hey, I'm thinking of making a ranger with this favorite terrain, you know, jungle or whatever it is. Is that going to be a problem?

And they asked me and I thought about and I said, no, because you guys don't want this to be in your game. So actually, it's great. You're just making it so we're not going to get lost. And that's actually what you guys want. So we're all good. But he checked with me. Right. Because he knew that that this was an important conversation to have. And that's great. Right.

And they asked me and I thought about and I said, no, because you guys don't want this to be in your game. So actually, it's great. You're just making it so we're not going to get lost. And that's actually what you guys want. So we're all good. But he checked with me. Right. Because he knew that that this was an important conversation to have. And that's great. Right.

If they had the opposite said, yeah, we want to have like tracking our rations and whether food runs out and are we poisoned by the water, then I probably would have said, well, let's change that benefit. Right. In some way so that you can get lost because that's a part of the experience you actually say you want.

If they had the opposite said, yeah, we want to have like tracking our rations and whether food runs out and are we poisoned by the water, then I probably would have said, well, let's change that benefit. Right. In some way so that you can get lost because that's a part of the experience you actually say you want.

Yeah, I agree. I'm just it's it's a price to pay and you have to weigh that price versus what the benefit you get out of it. I mean, I think of games I've run in public for strangers where we'll sit down to play and we get going and one character says, all right, I move here and now I'm flanking. So I have advantage. I'm like, well, that's an optional rule that we're not using.

Yeah, I agree. I'm just it's it's a price to pay and you have to weigh that price versus what the benefit you get out of it. I mean, I think of games I've run in public for strangers where we'll sit down to play and we get going and one character says, all right, I move here and now I'm flanking. So I have advantage. I'm like, well, that's an optional rule that we're not using.

And they got up and left. And so that's fine. And I'm actually okay with that because that kind of player might not have been the best for the table I was playing, you know, running at. But there is that mindset out there of this is the game I want to play. Sure, sure. And I am going to play this game or I will not play. Yeah, yeah.

And they got up and left. And so that's fine. And I'm actually okay with that because that kind of player might not have been the best for the table I was playing, you know, running at. But there is that mindset out there of this is the game I want to play. Sure, sure. And I am going to play this game or I will not play. Yeah, yeah.

And not all DMs feel like they can have conversations with their players. I mean, I've heard a lot of examples from players. There was a Winter Fantasy where someone talked a lot about the Ravenloft campaign and their DM just couldn't have these kinds of conversations with them. And so various players would abuse the game and the system. And so the tone could never be there.

And not all DMs feel like they can have conversations with their players. I mean, I've heard a lot of examples from players. There was a Winter Fantasy where someone talked a lot about the Ravenloft campaign and their DM just couldn't have these kinds of conversations with them. And so various players would abuse the game and the system. And so the tone could never be there.

And yeah, you're right. For some groups, it is there. This is a giant hill to climb. Yeah.

And yeah, you're right. For some groups, it is there. This is a giant hill to climb. Yeah.

I'm just going to make sure I didn't miss any of my points. There is this thing about a self-selecting audience. When the rules come out, if players are...